Cedar Sweep We opened a door (we shouldn't have).

Despite herself, Towhee met Bronco's question with a sharp, unbidden laugh. It was humorous enough on its own, but coupled with his puckered mouth, she even squeaked out a few subsequent titters. These were followed by a long sigh and her mouth twisted into an inscrutable expression. She wanted to laugh, she wanted to cry, she wanted to beat the shit out of someone...

Of course, she wouldn't harm a hair on Bronco's head, or any pup's for that matter, not even Rowan. A very dark look indeed passed across her face before she blinked loudly and shook her head at Bronco. -"They say you're a dingus,"- she finally answered him, albeit with a tight smile turning up the corners of her mouth to let him know she was only kidding him. -"Where're your par—where's your mom?"- She only remembered halfway through her sentence and almost kicked herself.

And then she felt extraordinarily sober all of a sudden. If Bronco could be bouncing around happily just weeks after his father's death, then Towhee should be able to pull herself up by her bootstraps too. Nobody close to her had died. Sure, her sister was leaving, along with her nieces and nephews, but they wouldn't be totally out of reach. And, sure, the Blackfeathers were the fly in the ointment, yet hadn't she'd just told herself she wouldn't let it get her down?

Easier said than done, she mused inwardly even as outwardly, she said, -"Think you could take me to your mom, kiddo?"-